Enrollment
257
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · American Fork, UT
Dan W. Peterson
Federal NCES profile for Dan W. Peterson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 490003000014
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dan W. Peterson earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Utah schools.
- #3 of 8
- schools in American Fork · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Utah
- 29.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Dan W. Peterson has class sizes smaller than 91% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dan W. Peterson ranks #3 of 8 schools in American Fork, UT.
School address
District: Alpine District · Utah
NCES ID 490003000014 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.5%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dan W. Peterson compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dan W. Peterson
Dan W. Peterson is a mid-sized combined-grade school in American Fork, Utah, enrolling 257 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Dan W. Peterson is leaner than roughly 91% of Utah schools and 33% under the state's 21.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 29.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 257 puts it in the smaller third of Utah schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Against 90 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #60.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 47/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Alpine District also operates Cedar Valley High (3,300 students) and Westlake High (3,052 students) alongside Dan W. Peterson.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Dan W. Peterson compares
Dan W. Peterson on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 33% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.5% | ▲ 5% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
257
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% above the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 9% in Utah - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$8,458
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.3%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 1.9%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: White at 70.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.5, Dan W. Peterson is more mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alpine District, which includes Dan W. Peterson.
$8,458
Per student
-14%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 51.6%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Dan W. Peterson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westlake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lone Peak High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| American Fork High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dan W. Peterson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,300
- Students per teacher
- 32:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 3,052
- Students per teacher
- 31.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,484
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,483
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,316
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~257 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dan W. Peterson's federal record.
- Compare Dan W. Peterson against another school. Compare schools
- Alpine District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Dan W. Peterson
How many students attend Dan W. Peterson?
Dan W. Peterson has 257 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in American Fork, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dan W. Peterson?
The student-teacher ratio at Dan W. Peterson is 14.3:1, which is 33% lower than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dan W. Peterson?
29.5% of students at Dan W. Peterson are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dan W. Peterson?
The largest demographic group at Dan W. Peterson is White at 70.4% of enrollment, in American Fork, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dan W. Peterson?
Dan W. Peterson has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dan W. Peterson rank among schools in American Fork?
By Resource Investment Index, Dan W. Peterson ranks #3 of 8 schools in American Fork, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in American Fork on the city page.
Is Dan W. Peterson a good school?
Dan W. Peterson earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Utah schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Alpine District?
Besides Dan W. Peterson, Alpine District also operates Cedar Valley High (3,300 students), Westlake High (3,052 students), and Lone Peak High (2,484 students). See the Alpine District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.